What Gentlemen Are Made Of
by rika195
Summary: Sarah leaves for Ohio with her family, and James is heartbroken to see his bestfriend go. He decides to become the most gentlemanly man ever for when she comes back. then someone comes from England to marry her. what will he do? what will she do?
1. Becoming a Gentleman

To Tasha: A story written just for you, with love from your older sister, Toni.

This story is in memory of all other stories we have written for each other, and all the stories that are recently going through my head that I haven't written yet.

I write it for you, because you are my best friend and my sister, and only you can truly understand all the fun little tidbits of inside jokes that this story will probably have riddled inside it.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it.

**What Gentlemen Are Made Of**

**Chapter One**

**----**

_James waved, watching the carriage roll away into the distance, leaving a trail of dust behind it. Beside him, Henri cheered and called out joyful farewells, and promises of seeing their beloved friend again soon, while the girl in the carriage returned the wave with a tearful smile and kisses blown from her hand. James tried to smile. He tried to make his wave cheerful. But his throat was dry from the dust, leaving him silent and unhappy, and a smile was the last thing to be seen on his face. Bitterly, he dropped his hand and watched the carriage pull out of sight, taking his closest friend with it to a land he would never go to, a land called Ohio. Now even the memory of all they'd had together would be like the dust, dry and empty, before finally settling down to the earth to be forgotten forever with the first spring rain._

"_We will miss her," Mr. Franklin said, shaking his head. "It's quite like losing a family member, isn't it?" He placed a hand on James' shoulder, coughing dust out of his lungs. "But we'll see Miss Phillips again. Don't worry." He turned and walked back into the Gazette, calling Henri and Moses after him, and turned to remind James to follow as well._

_James sighed, staring down at the dusty road beneath his feet. Sarah…he had begun to realize how much he thought of her like a sister when she had first gone back to England, and ever since then the thought of her leaving left him feeling empty and afraid, like he'd lose someone close to him forever. And now she was going to Ohio with her mother and father, to stay there for the rest of her life. The time had finally come when he had to say goodbye to her forever, and nothing could make him feel any better about it._

"_I'll miss you, Sarah," he whispered, shaking his head and turning away from the road. "And I'll never forget what you taught me. About journalism, bravery, maturity…" he sighed, fighting against tears. "You even taught me how to be a better American, even without trying. But the most important of all, you showed me how important it is to be a gentleman. Well…for your sake, that's what I'll be. I will be the most gentlemanly man in Philadelphia, if only to honor you as a friend." _

_His purpose now set firmly in his mind, he walked into the Gazette to join the others. The War was over, but a new stage had begun…it was time to prove that Americans could be gentlemen too._

_---_

5 years later

---

James Hiller, the 19-year-old Editor of the Pennsylvania Gazette, finished cleaning the ink off of his hands and hung up his apron on the hook on the wall of the Print Shop. It was nearing 7:00 in the morning, and soon it would be time to eat. His stomach growled, reminding him that getting up at 4:00 and not eating till 7:00 did not sit well with his stomach. He chuckled. "Henri," he called loudly. "Is the ink washed off your hands yet?"

The tall, 13-year old French-American Journalist and Apprentice of the Gazette walked into the room with a dazed expression on his face. Rarely did he enjoy waking up so early in the morning, and most of the time he would rather sleep, eat, and flirt with girls than actually do any work, but he did his job out of necessity and too few hands. He pushed his black hair out of his face and rolled his eyes, yawning. "Yes," he answered eventually, glancing at the finished stacks of newspaper that were ready to be rolled and set out with the delivery boys. "Do you need help rolling?"

James offered a large grin. "Absolutely. Thanks for offering, though I would have had you do it anyway." He grabbed a newspaper, rolled it, and tied a string around it with a speedy efficiency only found with those who had done the same for several years. Then he tossed it into a sack. No sooner had he begun doing the rolling, he became completely immersed in it, losing all track of time. Ten minutes later, he found himself staring at an empty shelf, all the newspapers rolled and placed in their sacks for delivery. He turned and smiled at Henri, who was still tying his last one. "Well, you can send the Newsies off on their jobs," he said. "I'll start breakfast."

Henri nodded, still yawning and looking tired, and walked outside with the bags of newspapers. James made his way to the kitchen.

-

By the time breakfast was served, eaten, and cleaned up, Henri had already gone off to school and James had gone into town. Ever since Mr. Franklin had moved to the large Manor downtown, and Moses had moved to another state with his Wife and kids, James had become the owner of the Gazette, and did his best to keep it going. For years he had tried to prove his worth as a journalist, editor, and trustworthy man in town, and had done his best to be the most charming gentleman he could possibly be. He had gotten so good at being reliable, that it had become second nature to him. Gone were the days of "hootie-hoot-hoot" and opinionated nonsense. He had matured into a man, and a good-looking one at that. In fact, he had become so eligible a suitor that most of the women in town were looking to match him up to their daughters. But he avoided all kinds of marriages with the skill of a charming gentleman, and though he managed to convince people he was not the right one for them, he still managed not to break any hearts. All in all, he was pretty pleased with himself.

He rode his horse into town, running through a mental checklist of all the errands he needed to run, and prepared himself for a long day. For undoubtedly, that was what it would be. Just like always. His first stop was the Docks, at the ocean bay at the edge of the city. He usually went there first, because he could gather tidbits of information for stories to be placed in the newspaper for the next day. Today, as he rode up and dismounted, he was rewarded with a particularly large ship coming into the harbor. Interested, he grabbed his notepad and pen and hurried up to one of the dock workers.

"What is that ship there?" he asked, making sure he still had the reins of his horse with him. "It's pretty big, isn't it?"

"That there is a royal frigate," the dock worker said, nodding in the direction of the ship. "The nephew of the King of England came to America to look for his betrothed, they say. I haven't seen him yet, but from what I hear, he doesn't like America very much."

"I see. So what is his betrothed doing in America, I wonder?" James prompted, quickly taking notes.

"Well, rumor from the sailors is she came to America with her father, and became an American. He's here to make her change her mind, I suppose." The man shrugged. "That's all that I know."

"Well, thanks. I'll keep asking around." James smiled and kept going, pestering people with his journalism questions. Eventually, he had a pretty interesting story, but it wasn't quite good enough for a large article. So he moved on to other subjects. News, current happenings, Mrs.Alton's Tea Party, and several other stories that were of interesting. Satisfied with his work, he expertly mounted his horse and rode into town.

"Hmm, that's pretty interesting about the nephew of the King," James mused thoughtfully, riding through the street. "I can't blame the girl for becoming an American…and actually that improves my opinion of her…but why would he come looking for her? Why not just choose someone else?" He shrugged. "Oh well. I guess it really doesn't concern me, but I can't help being interested."

"Talk to yourself again, James?"

James reigned his horse in and glanced down, then almost groaned. But he managed not to, and somehow kept a straight face. Annabelle Smith was standing on the street corner, apparently waiting for him to ride by. She was annoying, prim, and spoiled, and she was convinced that she and James were meant to be, and never left him alone. She practically tore apart any other lady who got close to him, and James was beginning to hate her stalking him.

"You are so adorable," Annabelle giggled. "Why don't you come in for Tea today? You haven't come in such a long time…"

"I'm afraid not, Miss Smith," James answered through clenched teeth. Annabelle was the one person who managed to make so agitated that he was literally driven up against the wall. If his dignity would let him, he'd run away screaming. But he had enough self control to just push her away and hope she stayed that way. "I have many errands to do, and the Gazette to take care of .Though I appreciate your offer. Good day, Miss Smith." He cleared his throat, nodded, and rode off a bit faster than he had been riding before.

He shivered once she was out of sight, glad that he had escaped that one, and refocused his attention on the errands he had to run. That was when he heard the scream. James reigned up, startled, and looked around him anxiously. Who had screamed? And why? He rode of in the direction he heard it come from, and found himself riding back to the docks. A spooked horse was galloping down the cobbled road at a terrible speed, dragging an open carriage with it. James gasped and spurred his horse forward, determined to stop the horse. It was precariously getting close to the edge of the water, and if the horse was not stopped soon, the carriage and its occupant would be thrown into the water, dragging the horse with it!

James was at a run, urging his horse next to the sweating, wide-eyed carriage horse, and reached out a hand to grab its harness. The horse practically screamed, reared slightly, and ran faster. The harness holding it to the carriage snapped, and it skidded off the docks into the water. The girl seated inside it managed one last scream, and then was plunged into the water.

James wasted no time. He stopped his horse then leapt into the bay, swimming downward as fast as he could. The water was salty, but he forced his eyes open against the stinging and tried hard to see where the girl was. But he couldn't see her…

Wait…there she was! Under the carriage! James pressed downward furiously, his lungs struggling for air even as he reached her. He tried to ignore the need to breathe, pressing himself to reach down and lift the carriage off of her. The strength began to leave him, and black spots began to fill his vision. Angrily he pressed back to the surface and gasped in another breath of air, and plunged back down to the bottom of the bay. Again he grabbed the edge of the carriage and pulled, forcing it upwards, until the girl was free. With one hand he reached down and grabbed her waist, pulling her out as fast as he could. The black spots returned to his vision, and his lungs screamed for air.

In a final desperate pull, he raced to the surface, choking on the air that entered his lungs as his face left the water. For a second he found himself sinking back underwater, but he was determined. He broke the surface again and threw the girl onto the dock, then climbed out after her.

He was coughing, choking, and wiping his stinging eyes. His arms were shaking, and his lungs were hurting, but he knew that she was in much worse condition that he was. James crawled over to her, checked to see if she was breathing, then began to pump the water out of her lungs. Several times he blew into her mouth and then pressed her stomach, until he was afraid it was too late. Then she jerked forward, coughing the water out of her lungs.

"That's it," James breathed, holding her back so that she didn't fall back to the dock and hit her head. "Keep coughing. You've got to get all that water out of your lungs."

The girl—she was a woman about as old as James himself was—looked up at him weakly, and continued to cough until she could breath again. Then she fainted.

James stared at her blankly, trying to figure out what to do, then slipped his arms under her and picked her up. He couldn't just leave her on the dock! "What am I going to do now?" he wondered aloud. His eyes were stinging, but he ignored it, turning to look at the water. Whatever belongings she had with her in the carriage were now gone, and he was not exactly willing to jump back in to search for them. "What happened to your horse to make him so freaked?" He asked. He realized that talking to a woman who was unconscious was ridiculous, so he sighed and decided to do something else instead.

He placed her on the saddle of his horse and climbed in after her, then kicked his heels. His chestnut stallion obediently moved into a quick trot, carrying both passengers back toward the Pennsylvania Gazette.

**----------------------**

**This story is a Liberty's Kids story, and is an adventure that will probably blow your mind to bits. I hope that you enjoy it! I am doing my best to make it really interesting. Have fun okay?**

**And Tasha, I miss you. Have fun baby-sitting the Rees' House. lol. And I'd appreciate it if you'd review this story. Thanks!**

**Till next time...**

**rika195**


	2. Home Again

To Tasha: A story written just for you, with love from your older sister, Toni.

This story is in memory of all other stories we have written for each other, and all the stories that are recently going through my head that I haven't written yet.

I do not own these characters at all, yet I am using them in my story.

And so without further ado...

**What Gentlemen Are Made Of**

**Chapter Two**

**----**

_Sarah's eyes fluttered open, and a salty bright light flashed into her eyes. But she could not see anything. Her lungs were aching, and her stomach felt full of dirty seawater. The thought made her heave, and she felt the fluid in her stomach rise to her mouth. Someone held her as she threw up everything that she had swallowed, and then spoke to her. His voice was calm…encouraging…and soon her stomach stopped heaving. Then she felt her strength leaving. Even though she seemed to collapse weakly, the one who had spoken to her didn't let her fall. He held her close against his chest, and the steady movement of a horse trotting beneath her revealed that she was being taken somewhere. She closed her eyes, relieved at the blackness that came with it, and leaned her head against him. She could hear his heartbeat, and she could hear his breath. Vaguely, she wondered who he was. But then she slipped into unconsciousness._

---

2 days later

---

A feeling of comfort and warmth seemed to surround her as she came out of her deep sleep, and she couldn't help sighing. She didn't want to wake up. She wanted to lay here forever, wrapped up in the warmth and the softness…but it was not to be. Sarah Phillips was a stubborn woman, and if any problem was present, she could not sit idly and let time pass. And there certainly was a problem here. For one, she could remember drowning and being rescued. But she didn't know who had rescued her, nor where she was. And that was a problem.

Sarah opened her eyes slowly, and rubbed them with one of her hands. They felt like they were glued together, and dry flakes came off her eyelids onto her hand when she rubbed them. Then she looked around. She was lying on a bed that had been dragged close to the fireplace, and a lovely fire that was burning low and warm flickered in the hearth, the smell of lavender wafting on the air. There were several bunches of lavender hanging above the hearth to be dried, and the smell seemed to smother her. It was beautiful. Sunlight poured through the window onto the bed, lighting the room. And she was alone.

Sarah sat up. She was still wearing the same clothes that she had been wearing before, but it appeared that someone had gone to great lengths to dry her and keep her warm. There were towels underneath the covers that had been laid over her. "Well that was a kind thought I suppose," she stated. She crawled out of bed and stood dizzily on her feet for a few minutes, waiting for her head to clear. As soon as it had done so, she looked around.

The room was small, but it was well kept, and had apparently not been in use for some time. And something about it seemed very familiar to her. There was a writing desk and a chair, and a washbasin with a mirror and a towel. On a chair next the washbasin was a clean pair of clothes—a blouse, a skirt, and some under clothes. Someone had probably loaned them for her to use. Still, the question of who continued to bug her. It was time to find out.

Sarah changed, marveling that the clothes, although not an exact fit, seemed to fit comfortably on her. And they were fairly nice as well. At least she would look presentable. She washed her face and then opened the door, following a flight of stairs down to the first level. At the foot of the staircase her ears caught the sound of voices, and she followed it slowly till she found herself just outside a receiving room that looked not unlike a shop of some kind. And the strangest thing was that it was incredibly familiar.

"…I appreciate the information Mrs. Alton, and I thank you for stopping by," someone said. It was a young man with blonde hair, whose back was turned. He was facing an older woman who was dressed up elaborately, and he was wearing an apron. Something about his voice was very familiar. "I always appreciate a good story, and you do know everything that happens in town," the young man's voice carried a pleasant grin. "And I'm very flattered to be invited to your Tea."

"Well, you are quite the gentleman," the woman smiled, seemingly pleased with his comments. "And all of Philadelphia would be in an uproar if I didn't invite you."

"I beg your pardon, but I highly doubt that," the young man laughed. "But thank you anyway. Have a good day, Mrs. Alton."

"And you too, James, you too." Mrs. Alton curtsied and left the shop, and the one she had named James turned to see Sarah in the doorway.

"I see you are awake," James said, offering a smile. He walked up to her and offered a slight bow, since he was wearing no hat to tip. "How do you feel?"

Sarah stared at him blankly, then curtsied. "Quite well, thank you good sir. May I ask where I am?"

"You are in the Pennsylvania Gazette, a local Newspaper. I'm the Editor, James Hiller. I'm afraid all your belongings are at the bottom of the sea now…" he offered an apologetic grin, then cleared his throat. "But you must be hungry. You've been asleep for two days, and we were pretty worried about you."

Sarah nodded, her brain suddenly feeling fuzzy. She stared at him, hearing his words but not understanding them, until suddenly something seemed to snap. She opened her mouth in a most unladylike gasp, and pointed her finger at him accusingly. "You?" she demanded, startling him. "You are James Hiller? And this…" she spread her hands out to the side. "This is the Pennsylvania Gazette?" Her eyes widened, and then a smile filled her face. "Oh James, I don't believe it! It's you! It really is!" For a split moment in time she was 15 again, throwing her arms around her best friend in an embrace. Then time seemed to race to the present. She was a woman, and she was hugging a man.

Sarah felt her face go red, and she pulled away instantly. "I'm so sorry," she blurted, turning around so she didn't have to look at him. What was she thinking? How could she have done that! What if he didn't remember her? Oh how humiliating…

Several minutes passed, and he was still silent. It was beginning to worry her. Finally she turned around to face him, and blinked in surprise. James was stiff, his face completely blank, and his eyes seemed to stare right through her into something only he could see. He was like a statue carved in stone. "James…" she whispered, then corrected herself guiltily. "…Mr. Hiller," she said a little louder. "Are you alright?"

James blinked, a sign that he was still alive, and finally seemed to see her. For a long time he just stared at her, but then his eyes seemed to grow misty. He cleared his throat. "A pleasure to finally see you again, Miss Phillips," he said politely.

Sarah cringed inwardly, but nodded in return. "And you," she answered finally.

James turned his head to the side and nodded, the silence dragging on. Then he seemed to get in control of himself. He turned back to her and crossed his arms, a scolding expression on his face. Then he tapped his foot. "Well, well," he stated crossly. He looked upset, and he glared at her harshly. "It's about time."

Sarah's face brightened at the familiar remark, and she smiled sneakily at him. "So you _did_ miss me," she confirmed.

James couldn't hold the smile any longer. A huge grin spread across his face, and his eyes misted again. "Of course I did!" he exclaimed. "What kind of…oh whatever! It's good to see you!" He laughed, grabbed her hands, and twirled her around the room. Sarah grinned right back, her own eyes filling with tears that soon began to run down her cheeks. James stopped spinning around in joy when he noticed them. "Oh…are you alright?" He frowned instantly, then dragged her toward the kitchen. "Stupid me…I completely forgot! You haven't eaten in two days, and you've just survived almost drowning! Come into the kitchen and eat something, young Lady." He seated her at the table and hurriedly began to get some bread and cheese for her to start with.

Sarah watched him cook her some eggs to go with her bread and cheese, and sipped the cool berry juice that he had eventually poured for her. And she couldn't help grinning, even as the tears kept coming. "My, my, James." She shook her head. "You have changed."

The eggs then set in front of her, James refilled her cup with juice and seated himself across from her. "Hardly," he chuckled softly. "Just managed to grow up eventually."

Sarah smiled sweetly, and wiped her tears away with a napkin. "Perhaps," she stated evenly. "But one thing is for sure. You are quite the gentleman now."

James blinked, then smiled wider. In typical James fashion, he stood and offered a mock bow. "Why thank you, M' Lady," he teased. "And you are quite the young gentlewoman, throwing yourself upon young men to embrace them."

"Watch it Mr. Hiller," Sarah retorted calmly, her eyes twinkling. "You don't want me to bring up the 'hooty-hoot-hoot' do you?"

James offered a grimace. "Definitely not."

"Very well. Then leave me to my breakfast, and tend to the guest who just walked into your shop."

"As you wish," he winked. He hurried out of the room in a not-so-gentlemanly fashion and skidding up to the front door, Sarah watching him go with a chuckle.

"I can't believe it," she sighed, closing her eyes to stop her tears of excitement. "It feels like I've come home."

-----------------------------

**Thanks for reading. Please tell me what you think!**

**rika195**


	3. Welcome Back, Sarah

This story is in memory of all other stories my sister and I have written for each other, and all the stories that are recently going through my head that I haven't written yet.

Thank you so much to all my reviewers! I am so amazed and thankful, and I don't know what to say! You are so encouraging, and I am sorry for keeping you waiting. I hope this chapter is satisfactory!

**What Gentlemen Are Made Of**

**Chapter Three**

**--*--**

James could hardly concentrate on writing his article. His mind was too preoccupied thinking about the woman he had brought home two days ago, the woman who had turned out to be the last person in the world he expected to see: His old friend Sarah Phillips. It was unbelievable. After all these years, she was finally thrown back into his life by way of a spooked horse and a near death experience. He was still trying to work it all out in his head. And the most distracting thing of all was how incredibly beautiful she had become.

Sarah was definitely a one-of-a-kind girl. James had always used to think she was rather annoying, and would find every little thing about her that he could and critique it. Her nose was too round. Her smile was too wide. Her teeth were too perfect. Her hair was too red. But really, it was all an attempt not to admit that he thought she was pretty. And now that she was older….all of the things that he used to find annoying only made him fall head over heels for her. Her face was finely defined, and carried the most lady-like appearance that he had seen on any woman as of yet. Her eyes, a dazzling green, shined with a brightness to rival the sun. Her hair had turned darker, an auburn red that looked like the warmth of autumn wrapped up in the folds of her hair. Her neck was long and slender, more graceful than anyone else's. And she carried herself with such poise and grace…even when she was unconscious she had been the most beautiful creature James had ever seen.

Oh who was he fooling? He was not going to finish his article while thinking about Sarah this way. He sighed, set the pen aside, and placed a hand over his eyes. It had been another long day…like usual. And Henri would be back soon. Wouldn't he be excited to know that the woman was Sarah? He'd be thrilled to death! And of course, the teasing would never end. _Oh James! You rescued Sarah from death with the Kiss of Life! It's meant to be!_ James snorted at the thought of all Henri would probably find to tease him about. Didn't that kid ever let up? It was like the teasing would never end!

"Your article is not even half way finished," came the distinctly female voice of Sarah Phillips by James' shoulder. "James, James, James. You must stay on top of things to be a good Editor!"

James started at the sound of her voice, and turned his head to give her an annoyed look. "Well if you didn't distract me then I'd be able to write it," he retorted gently. After a second or two, a smirk sneaked onto his face. Sarah was not any different than she had been before. She was mature, like a lady, but she had always been that way. And she still seemed to carry that determined spirit that made her impossible at times.

Sarah placed her hands on her hips, arching one of her graceful eyebrows. "Really?" she questioned doubtfully. "I only just came over a few seconds ago. I couldn't have been distracting you."

"I disagree," James answered with a grin. He stood up and sighed, then smirked down at her. He was a good half-a-head taller than she was now, and it felt kind of nice. "Just having you come back is the most distracting thing of all. We really missed you. I really missed you." He stood there awkwardly, realizing that he was being more open than he wanted to, and then quickly sat back down and took up his pen. "Anyway, stop being so distracting, and I might get this written."

"I see." Sarah did not remove her hands from her hips, but a triumphant smirk fixed itself on her face. She seemed to be quite pleased with herself for being 'distracting', as James put it, and for a moment she only stood there in silence. But after that moment, she did one of the many things that James found oddly annoying. She decided to be useful. "James, James, James," she scolded playfully. "You have several articles that need to get written, and only one of them is barely beginning to get written. Give me a few so I can help you out. You need more than one reporter!"

"You?" James chuckled. "Sarah, I realize that you used to be a better reporter than I was, several years back. But that has changed. You went off to live in the West with your family and became an American Woman. I, on the other hand, spent the entire time becoming a master Journalist and Editor. I am quite capable of handling a few news articles." He gave her a slight smirk. "But I thank you for your offer anyway."

"How dare you," Sarah exclaimed. She whacked the side of his head with her hand. "I'll have you know that I was a Journalist in Ohio as well! Besides, you don't have enough time to write all of them."

"I only have to write three. And they are mostly written already. I'm just editing them."

"Then I will help you!"

"Sarah please! Do you HAVE to be so bossy?" James sighed and turned around in his chair to face her. "I am the EDITOR! I run this newspaper! I have three simple articles that I would like to fix. ME. If I needed anything to get written, don't you think I'd ASK you?" A frown accompanied his annoyed look, and he glared at her as defiantly as he dared.

Sarah was not put off by his behavior. In fact, it seemed to him that she expected it. "Always trying to do everything by yourself, aren't you?" she scolded, waving her hand dismissively. "Very well, James, have it your way. I was only trying to help. In the meantime, I suppose I'll do some straightening around here." She glanced about her disapprovingly. "I don't know how you could have gotten by for so long."

James gripped his pen, furiously continuing in his writing. He was no longer having fun teasing her, he was simply annoyed. Who did she think she was, coming in and telling him that he couldn't keep his own house or newspaper? He was a man now! And he wasn't incapable! Not in the least!

But Sarah ignored him. If she knew that she was causing him to grow upset, she either concealed it very well, or simply did not care. It seemed of the two of them, she was the one who had changed the least. She began to straighten things, moving things back to where they were "supposed" to go, and finding a place for whatever didn't have one. To be perfectly honest, she knew what she was doing, and it was helpful work. James had been meaning to get around to doing stuff like that for forever. But there always seemed something to do, and he never got around to doing it. So to have Sarah do it…

James let out and small sigh, and slowed down his scribbling. He went back and edited the last ten sentences, since they were not very good, trying not to stay angry at Sarah. She actually WAS helping, even if she was trying to be annoying in the process. She was just trying to prove she was smarter, or better, or whatever useless thing she was trying to prove. How hard could it be for him to just ignore her little games and let it go? It couldn't be that hard, could it?

"I can see why it is so hard for you to write that article," Sarah interrupted, shaking her head pityingly. "It's so disorganized here, it's no wonder you're scatter-brained!"

James hissed out a sigh. Okay, so it would be _really _hard to just let it go. But he was determined. This time, he'd prove to Sarah that he had grown up, and that he was a gentleman. After all…she was the one he'd worked so hard to impress…He stifled that thought before it could manifest, set aside his pen, and turned in his chair to look at her. "Hey," he said, attempting to sound nonchalant. "Uh…thanks. I've been meaning to do all that…just haven't gotten around to it yet." He paused and cleared his throat. "So…yeah. Thanks." He turned back and kept writing, focusing intently on his words and nothing else.

Sarah, behind him, stopped working for a moment in surprise, before exclaiming, "Well, you have become quite civilized now, haven't you?"

James ignored her, focusing on using accurate words in the article instead of being annoyed at the implication that he was uncivilized. The very idea…

Sarah stopped working again, still and silent for a moment, but then she stepped closer and laid a hand on his shoulder. "I am very grateful to you," she said gently. "I mean that in the most respectful way possible. I only wish I could be of some help to you, really. I'm not trying to be cruel. It's just been so long since we've seen each other, and it's hard to know how to connect how we were then to how we are now."

James turned, his own annoyance softened by her word, and smiled up at her. "Yes," he agreed, "it is weird, isn't it?" Chuckling, he left his article for the moment and turned around to face her better. "But really, you don't have to feel like you need to do anything. You're a guest here! It's not normally like this—this messy I mean—it's just been a crazy week."

"Indeed," Sarah agreed. "But please, James, I need to feel useful somehow!"

He shrugged. "Well, if you insist. I appreciate it."

Something in Sarah's eyes made him pause and stare at her, and he wondered if they'd suddenly become so glassy because she was tired, or if she was feeling emotional. Either way, it made him feel awkward. "I suppose I should let you finish," she stated, turning back and sorting through things in the room again.

James nodded, and turned back to his article, his mind whirling with thoughts unspoken. He may end up needing her to proof read these articles after all.

---

"'Ello James, I am back!" Henri called playfully, sweeping into the Gazette and slamming the door shut.

James sighed, leaning back in his chair and stretching his arms. The loud noises startled him, and finding that he had finished his articles and was simply sitting uselessly in his chair, he stood up and smiled. "Hello," he said as an afterthought.

Henri stepped forward, peering at him suspiciously. He was taller than James now, his dark hair always an unruly mess, and so peering in James' face meant leaning down and making him feel like a mouse under Henri's tall figure. "Something's happened," Henri smirked. "Tell me what it is, James, or I will beat it out of you!"

"Beat it?" James pulled back, shoving the young French-American youth away from him. "You fool! I'd have told you already if you hadn't threatened me!"

"So tell already!" Henri shoved back. "Come on, James! Was it Annabelle again? Did she force you into agreeing to courtship? Eh?"

"Stop it!" James yelled. "Quit making assumptions!" He froze, then lowered his voice. "We have a guest, Henri. A Lady. She's to stay here at the Gazette."

"What?" Henri blurted. He looked up at the ceiling sharply, and then back down at James in alarm. "You can't be serious? Why would you…" he lowered his voice to a whisper. "Why on earth?"

James smirked, finding himself growing amused. "Why? Because, young fool, I rescued her from drowning, and she has nowhere else to stay."

"No!" Henri groaned, slapping a hand to his forehead. "James, you didn't! Do you have to be so darned gentlemanly? Do you have to win the heart of _every _lady in town?"

"What?" James blurted, shoving Henri again. "What are you talking about? You idiot! As if that ever crossed my mind! You're the one who spends all day flirting and…"

"Quiet, James!" Henri shushed him. "The Lady!"

James rolled his eyes. "She expects it, I'd imagine."

"Expects it? What are you talking about!?"

Here James paused, and shook his head with a sigh. "Ah, yes. How foolish of me." He looked up, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Henri, the guest of ours is none other than…"

"Henri!" Came Sarah's voice from the top of the stairs, and gliding swiftly down them, she swept toward him and grabbing his hands. "Oh it _is _you! Look how you have grown!"

It took Henri much shorter than it took James to realize who she was, and with a cry of joy, he lifted her into the air and swung her around, before setting her down and embracing her. "SARAH!" he cried, elated. "I thought I'd never see you again!"

"My goodness!" Sarah declared, laughing and pulling back. She patted him on the cheek. "You little rascal! Although I can hardly call you little anymore, can I? How long has it been?"

"Years," Henri grinned. "James rescued you from drowning, did he? Has he got your heart swept away too?"

"Too?" Sarah asked, raising an eyebrow. She turned to smirk at James. "Whatever does he mean?"

James fought against a blush, and tried to disguise his discomfort by elbowing Henri in the ribs. "He's being impish. Never mind him." He grabbed his articles from the table and turned back to the two of them. "We've got to get this newspaper printed for tomorrow, Henri. Sarah, if you can still remember how it works, we could use the help."

"Putting her to work?" Henri shook his head. "Tsk, tsk, James! How rude."

"You know she'd insist on it anyway," James rolled his eyes. He thought he saw Sarah's face brighten for a minute.

"Yes, thank you, James," she said, putting on the attitude of stubbornness. "Let's get this newspaper printed."

They hurried to the press to begin their work, tying their sleeves above their elbows and slipping aprons over their clothes. It seemed much faster with three people, and as conversation flowed between them about the old days and what happened after, James looked on with a smile. He hadn't realized just how much he'd missed Sarah Phillips. But it was…nice…to finally have her back home.

_Home? _He thought, smiling sarcastically to himself. _That's a little forward. _But the feeling stuck, and he let it stay. Yes, it was nice to finally have her home.

--*--

_Thank you for reading! So sorry it took so long. Please let me know what you think. Have a great week, you all!_

_Rika195_


End file.
